Northampton County Medical Society
Donation to St. Luke's Community Health

Bethlehem, PA (3/28/2014) – St. Luke's Community Health Department was honored to receive a donation from the board of the Northampton County Medical Society Alliance in honor of Doctors' Day, Sunday, March 30.

National Doctors' Day celebrates the contribution of physicians who serve our country by caring for its citizens.

“I am honored to accept this contribution on behalf of St. Luke's,” said Bonnie Coyle, MD, St. Luke's University Health Network’s Director of Community Health. “We appreciate the donations and support that we receive in order to continue to provide access to health care to the under-served and under-insured people in our community.”

St. Luke's University Health Network’s Community Health Department strives to achieve its mission of partnering with the community to increase health awareness, improve the health status of the community and encourage appropriate access to health services. The Bethlehem Partnership for a Healthy Community and St. Luke's mobile health units, HealthStar, have been the primary venues for achieving this mission. The Mobile Health Youth Clinics provide medical care to students of local schools during school hours with a special focus on students who do not have a family doctor and/or insurance, serving as a temporary provider for acute care issues while helping the family access a regular source of healthcare.

About NCMSA

The Northampton County Medical Society Alliance (NCMSA or The Alliance) is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping the community through volunteer outreach programs and health initiatives. Membership includes physicians and physician spouses who work or live in Northampton County or Bethlehem. The organization is not aligned with one hospital specifically, but rather supports all the hospitals in the designated area which includes St. Luke’s University Health Network.

Mission
The Northampton County Medical Society Alliance is an organization concerned with addressing the health needs of the community. By cultivating a fellowship among its members, the organization is able to promote health related endeavors, thus improving health care for all.

Alliance Highlights/ Recent Accomplishments

The Alliance was honored with the 18th annual Inez and Edward Donley Award for Children’s Advocacy in 2013, awarded by Community Services for Children. This is in recognition of a long-standing commitment to children and health.

Donations to Operation Heartthrob program have provided food, nutritional education and counseling to families in need, since 1991.

In the last 16 years, the Alliance has given out about 1500 books and donated more than 500 volunteer hours to teach preschoolers in a South Bethlehem Head-Start class about healthy behaviors through the Adopt-a-Class program. Adopt-a-Class is a signature program whereby Alliance volunteers visit a Head-Start class each month and cover age appropriate topics such as health, exercise, nutrition and non-violent communication. A healthy snack and exercise are part of the curriculum each month. Children are given a book to keep with each visit, complete with a label with their name on it.

In 2006, NCMSA created H.E.L.P. fund grants (Health, Education and Literacy Programs). To date, $47,000 has been awarded to local non-profit groups including: $10,000 to purchase laptops for the Reading Rocks program; $7,200 to the Third Street Alliance Shelter; $4,600 to the Weller Health Education Center; $2,000 to the Easton Area Neighborhood Center; $4,000 to STANDD (Stop Texting and Distracted Driving); and in 2013, more than $9,000 to ProJeCt of Easton, The Children’s Home of Easton, The Cancer Support Community of the Greater Lehigh Valley and the Boys and Girls Club of Bethlehem.

Commitment to Medical Training and Education: Since 1985, have provided loans and now scholarships to local medical, nursing and physician assistant students.

Health Education & Public Service: In the past 7 years, The Alliance has visited many preschool classes and taught more than 1,500 preschool children about germs and healthy hand washing with the Henry the Hand program.